Mr. Hagel will begin his trip in Honolulu, where he will meet with Adm. Samuel J. Locklear, head of the U.S. Pacific Command, and visit with Marines at Kaneohe Bay, Defense Department spokesman George Little said.

The trip originally WAS announced by officials Tuesday as Mr. Hagel and Gen. Chang Wanquan, the Chinese defense minister, met at the Pentagon.

Both sides touted progress in U.S.-China military relations after the meeting. But Gen. Chang made clear that China would continue to staunchly defend its “core interests” and assert what it calls its “maritime rights” over disputed territory in the South China Sea.

ASEAN states have been trying for more than a decade to secure agreement from China on a legally binding code of conduct for the sea.

Question of the Day

Does President Obama love America?

Ask Congress

About the Author

Shaun Waterman is an award-winning reporter for The Washington Times, covering foreign affairs, defense and cybersecurity. He was a senior editor and correspondent for United Press International for nearly a decade, and has covered the Department of Homeland Security since 2003. His reporting on the Sept. 11 Commission and the tortuous process by which some of its recommendations finally became ...